He Remembers
by Utdragongirl
Summary: After the showdown between Metatron and Dean, Sam brings him home and tries to summon Crowley. After days of failing to contact the demon, Sam gives up, but Dead is already walking around. Sam grows suspicious, but waits to see what happens. That is, until the phone rings.
1. Chapter 1

Sam sat in the library of the bunker, drumming his fingers on the table. It had been a few days since he had brought Dean home after confronting Metatron. He had tried to reach Crowley, but no answer. A few hours later, Dean was walking around. Sam asked dozens of questions, but Dean had told him nothing. Absolutely nothing. Dean claimed that he remembered Metatron stabbing him and then Sam talking and then he woke up in his bed. It was too perfect of a story for Sam, though. Dean just waking up from the dead? And he didn't know how? Nope. Cas didn't even know what happened, but he was still fixing up heaven, so he couldn't be of much help.

"Sammy!" Dean called from another room as Sam flinched. Dean walked in from the kitchen, holding an empty box. "Where's all the food?"

"You ate it all, Dean. We have to go get more," Sam whispered, rubbing the back of his neck. Dean frowned at looked at the box. "Look, we'll just head over to the grocery store and get something."

"I figured that we'd do that. What's up with you lately, anyway? You've been all moody. Well, moodier than usual," Dean accused as Sam shrugged.

"I'm fine. Just a bit stressed," Sam answered, rubbing his brow. Dean looked at him warily, unsure. He looked away, deciding not to argue. They had both been through a lot and he didn't want to start a fight. "Have you heard from Cas lately?"

"I think he still has his hands full with fixing heaven right now. He'll come when he has a chance," Sam sighed before Dean shut the fridge.

"How hard could fixing heaven be, anyway?" Dean grumbled, still looking for some sort of food. Sam gave Dean an appalled look. "What?"

"Are you- Heaven has been broken since we've known it even existed," Sam pointed out, shocked at Dean.

"Yeah, but this is the first time they can actually get anything done. There's no more factions, no more Lucifer, Crowley is dealing with Hell. There are no distractions. I'm surprised that they didn't just decide to make Cas their king or whatever and get on with it," Dean argued, slamming the cupboard door. Sam jumped at the noise and looked at Dean.

"Look, Cas is dealing with it and everything will turn out alright. Besides, if you want to see how Cas is doing, why don't you just pray to him?" Sam complained as Dean froze for a split second. "What?"

"N-Nothing. Just thought I saw actual food," Dean shouted, covering himself. Sam sat up and groaned.

"Fine, we'll go grocery shopping," Sam moaned, grabbing his coat by the door. Dean turned to him.

"I got a call earlier about a job and I told them I'd figure out what it was. You go into town, I'll stay and look up what's going on," Dean answered, making Sam grow weary. Dean liked the bunker, but he also liked driving the Impala.

"It will only take a moment," Sam urged as Dean shook his head.

"As long as you actual food and not that rabbit stuff, it'll be fine," Dean answered before retreating hastily to his room. Sam stared at him, getting suspicious. He thought of every reason of why Dean wouldn't want to leave and Sam got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He ran to the door and lifted the carpet. After he had tried to contact Crowley and before the Dean started walking around again, Sam felt the need to demon proof the bunker again. He had painted devil traps under carpets at the entrance and a salt line underneath the door. The carpet was intact and the trap was untouched. Sam pulled at his face, unsure what to do. He jumped as the phone rang. He ran down the stairs and picked it up, but Dean had already answered it.

"Is this Dean Winchester?" a familiar voice asked. There was worry and fright in the tone.

"Yes. Who is this?" Dean asked, surprised that someone got a hold of the bunker number. Sam grabbed a notepad and a pen to write down what was going on. Dean didn't know anyone that he didn't. Not anymore.

"It's Ben. Ben Braeden. Lisa's kid," he answered before Dean remained silent. Sam froze, remembering that name very well. "You do know me, right?"

"Of course I do," Dean whispered, his voice very soft. Ben let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank god! Mom doesn't remember you, and I didn't for a while, but for some reason I do. I remember everything," Ben answered as Sam wrote everything down. "Dean, you have to come back."

"Are you all right? Is your mother ok?" Dean asked, sounding worried.

"Yeah, yeah, she's fine. She just thinks I'm crazy because I think you exist...but..." Ben trailed off as Sam started writing things down.

"But what, Ben? What's going on?" Dean asked urgently.

"Things have been happening. Strange things. It happened when the stars fell last year. Our neighbors have disappeared left and right, there's hardly anyone at school anymore," Ben explained, making Dean worried. "I remember you telling me to keep Mom safe, but I don't know what to do."

"When did you start remembering?"

"Around the time the stars all fell. I told Mom that you would've loved it, but then she asked who I was talking about. Then I started having two different memories of the same thing. Like having a picnic and you were and weren't there. I remember you and those monster children, and then I don't. That's when I realized that I was either going crazy or something supernatural happened. You still fight things like that, right?" Ben asked, desperation in his voice.

"Yeah, I still Hunt," Dean whispered, the frustration in his voice.

"Then something must have done something to me, right?" Ben asked, almost sounding hysterical.

"Yeah, something must have done something to you," Dean whispered before clearing his throat. "Do you still live where you used to? In Michigan?"

"Yeah, we didn't move from Battle Creek," Ben answers before Dean nodded. "And Dean? I wanted to apologize."

"What? Why?"

"I said so many terrible things," Ben whispered as Dean shook his head and laughed a little.

"I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have left, or smacked you, or any of that," Dean whispered. "I'll be there as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay. See you soon," Ben whispered, greatly relieved. The line went dead and Sam went into shock. Not a second later, Sam went into the hallway outside Dean's room and painted the circle on the ceiling, just to make sure Dean wasn't what Sam thought he was. Just as Sam put the spray can in his pocket, Dean opened the door.

"Hey, Sam. Whatchu doin'?" Dean asked, looking very confused with a backpack over his shoulder and an assault rifle in his hand. Sam stuttered for a moment, unsure how to explain himself.

"Who was on the phone?" Sam asked as Dean shrugged.

"No one. Just the people from the job I talked about earlier," Dean informed, still a bit weirded out by his brother. Sam said nothing, surprised by his brother.

"Oh," he answered as Dean scrunched his face in bewilderment.

"Why are you acting strange?" Dean asked as he pushed past his brother. Sam watched carefully, quickly glancing up at the ceiling. Suddenly, Dean stopped, giving Sam a heart attack. Dean looked around, confused. "The hell?"

"Dean? Why didn't you tell me?" Sam nearly shouted as tears nearly fell. Dean turned around, shocked and angry.

"Tell you what?"

"Did you think I wasn't going to find out?! This is a big deal, Dean! This is a huge deal!" Sam shouted, unable to look at Dean, who was very confused.

"What is?!" Dean shouted before Sam pointed to the ceiling.

"That's the big deal, Dean!" Sam screamed, appalled and upset. Dean sighed and looked at the floor.

"Crowley told me it would be a bad idea hiding this from you," Dean whispered, looking at Sam again, but with the blackest eyes Sam had ever seen. "Look, Sam, I didn't want this to be an issue-"

"An issue?! Oh, this way bigger than an issue! Dean, you have become what we've devoted our life to killing! You've become the thing that has killed nearly everyone we've ever known!" Sam shouted as Dean slumped, frustrated.

"I didn't ask for this!"

"You didn't? What about that mark, Dean? I'm pretty sure you asked for that, Dean!" Sam yelled before covering his mouth in shock and upset. Dean just looked at him.

"I obviously can't change what I am, Sam. I died, and there isn't anything either of us can do about it!" Dean answered, pointing it out. Sam nodded, knowing that well. "Now will you let me out of this? I have somewhere to go."

"I can't let you go, Dean. I don't even know if it is you and not a demon pretending to be you," Sam answered as Dean slumped.

"Your name is Samuel Winchester, named after Samuel Campbell, who is our mother's father. Your birthday is May 2nd 1983 and our mother killed by Azazel on November 2nd 1983. You have demon blood pumping through your veins, you went to hell, came back soulless, you were possessed by an angel. We got those tattoos that keep the demons out, which is keeping me in this body," Dean explained before Sam shook his head.

"Fine, you're Dean. That doesn't mean that I trust you!" Sam exclaimed, frustrating Dean. "And what is Cas going to say!? He's going to be upset."

"Why would you care?" Dean scoffed, folding his arms. Sam sighed and shook his head.

"I don't want haven to declare war on your ass! Cas isn't going to be happy about this. Is that why you flinched earlier?!" Sam demanded as Dean shrugged.

"I don't know how well prayin' works when you're damned," Dean replied irritatedly.

"Whatever. I'll go figure out what's going on in Battle Creek and I'll figure out what to do with you when I get back," Sam informed, moving around the circle. Dean groaned and through the backpack at Sam.

"That is my family, Sam! One that you took away from me!"

"Oh, no, you pushed them away. You wanted Cas to erase their memories. I wanted you to work through it and you got mad at me for even bringing it up."

"Who decided to show up one day? Without telling me, I might add?"

"If I had told you sooner, you wouldn't even have known them. You would have just jumped back on the wagon and went hunting."

"You were soulless!" Dean shouted before Sam sighed.

"I'm going. I'll be back in a few days," Sam whispered, stopping the fight. Dean threw his head back, unsure what to do. Sam refused to look back as he picked up Dean's bag and headed outside. Dean grabbed his head, thinking that this couldn't have come at a worse time. He paced the trap, understanding now how all those monsters felt when he trapped them. _Those monsters._ He scoffed. He was one of _those monsters_ now.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam opened the front door of the impala and slid in, throwing the bag on the seat next to him. He stared at it for a moment before shutting the door and started the car. There would be no thinking about Dean. He had gotten himself into this mess, and he was going to get himself out. Or so Sam hoped. Right now, he was concerned about Ben and Lisa, who could be in serious danger from Dean. Sam knew that his brother wouldn't want anything to happen to them. Sam put the car in drive as he glanced at the map. He had to get there quick in case that demon was to get free.

Dean looked at the ceiling, wondering if you scratch off a bit of the devil's trap. After reaching and jumping, he realized that the ceiling was slightly higher than he had first thought and frowned. What was he going to do? He had to get to the Braedens'. He had to. He wasn't sure why, but there was a strong tug at his chest when he thought of them. If he hadn't turned into a demon, he would have thought it was a broken heart or something. That it was that he had missed them.

"Do you need some help with that?" a deep British voice asked, almost sarcastically. Dean smiled, shifting his eyes to black.

"It's about time you showed up," Dean whispered with a slight laugh, turning around. Crowley grinned back, almost proud of what Dean had become. "Are you going to help me or what?"

"So you can run back to your little family? Miss Lisa and dear Ben? You know how this works, Dean," Crowley reminded as Dean rolled his eyes, changing them back to their brilliant green, and chuckled.

"Right, because I want to become the monster," Dean whispered as Crowley sighed.

"You can't just pretend that you aren't what you are. You've done that before, and it's only made things worse for you. Just accept it," Crowley coaxed before Dean scoffed.

"Like accepting that you're my king now?" Dean asked as Crowley shrugged.

"I am the King of Hell, and all demons come from Hell. Even the escaped ones," Crowley answered, looking up at Dean, who was beyond furious. "How is your angelic boyfriend taking this, anyhow? Has he come by for a visit?"

"No, he has not," Dean sighed, looking away. "He doesn't know a thing. All he knows is that Sam told him that I was alive again. He hasn't been able to come down because of the mess he made in heaven."

"It's only a matter of time then. What are you going to tell him?" Crowley inquired, genuinely curious. Dean shook his head, looking almost disgusted.

"I don't have to explain my life to you. Now hurry up and get me out," Dean instructed as the King shrugged again.

"Dean, Dean, Dean," Crowley whispered, walking toward him. "This is only gonna work one way. You need to learn to accept your new reality."

"By hurting people and ruining families? No thanks. I've had my fill," Dean scoffed, glaring.

"That's not all that we do," Crowley informed as Dean gave him a condescending look.

"I don't feel like torturing souls, either. Been there. Done that," Dean smiled, very sarcastically. Crowley rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Haven't you felt the need to kill someone? To hurt a person? You were so much more fun when you were still human. You needed the thrill of the kill, even when you didn't have the mark," Crowley reminded as Dean turned to him and glared. "You still need that, Dean. You can feel it in your blood. It will consume you."

"Then I'll let it consume me!" Dean shouted, charging toward Crowley before the trap stopped him. Crowley raised his eyebrows.

"Do you know what that even means? If you let the mark consume you, your soul will grow insane. You will kill people mercilessly in a blink of an eye, hardly caring who it was or could be. Letting that thing consume you is the exact opposite of what you want to happen," Crowley informed darkly as Dean turned away. "I will let you out if you promise not to let the blade to consume you."

"And why would you even care?" Dean grumbled as Crowley straightened.

"There's a war coming, Dean. Did you think it would end when Abbadon and Metatron were defeated? Well, it very well could have if Metatron decided not to stab you. I have no doubt that your Castiel will come after me once he has learned that you have turned to the dark side."

"Cas is smarter than that," Dean grumbled, knowing that Cas would be pissed if he found out what he was, but he couldn't imagine him declaring war on Hell because of him.

"Do you not remember who dragged your ass out of Hell last time? Castiel is connected to you in some form or another. He will fight for you, even it means fighting against you," Crowley warned as Dean laughed.

"Like I would fight on Hell's side," Dean laughed.

"Well, I certainly don't see you fighting on Heaven's side. You can't even get there," Crowley reminded as Dean said nothing. "Dean, you are Hell's only hope."

"Would you please stop quoting Star Wars for two seconds?"

"That wasn't exactly a quote, but fine. All I'm saying is that you are the second most powerful demon in creation. I need you to lead the demons when war breaks out between heaven and hell," Crowley explained as Dean shook his head.

"No."

"Then I'm not letting you out," Crowley stated as Dean nodded.

"I will get out eventually, you know. And if it isn't you who let's me out, I do know where you live and I can actually get to it now. I will hunt you down and slowly slice open your throat before stabbing you in the torso. You're right. I need to kill, and why not start with you?" Dean smiled, his eyes flashing to black again. Crowley said nothing, weighing his options. He knew that Dean Winchester was dangerous, and know he possessed the same demon powers that he possessed, making him even more of a threat. Crowley scrunched his eyes and bit his lips before snapping his fingers, breaking the trap. Dean exhaled, as if he had been stuck in a musty old closet for too long.

"You will lead my army, Dean. That I can assure you of," Crowley whispered before vanishing. Dean glanced up at the ceiling and smiled, pulling his blade out from under his jacket. He smiled and looked around, feeling more powerful than ever.

Sam drove through the night, hoping to reach the Braedens' by morning. Sam couldn't stop picturing Dean's soulless eyes and that dreadful grin, like it was just another childish prank that they used to do when they were younger. Sam shook his head as he continued on the highway. He couldn't stop at all, not even for a snack. He glanced over, seeing a figure and jumped. Cas was in the car now.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked quietly, doing his best not to get angry. Cas stared out the windshield.

"I couldn't find you at the bunker, so I looked for the Impala," Cas informed as Sam nodded.

"I see Heaven gave back your angel juice," Sam grumbled.

"Yes, Heaven is healing. I thought I would come down and see how things were going for you and Dean," Cas informed before Sam sighed loudly, unsure how to tell Cas the news. He angel leaned forward, looking at Sam intently. "Metatron told me that Dean was dead, but you told me that Dean was not. Did you lie to me?"

"No, he's definitely up and walking around," Sam answered as Cas tensed.

"But?" Cas asked, feeling that Sam was hiding something from him. Sam just shook his head.

"He's on a hunting trip. Some creature is pillaging a nearby town. Ben called and he wanted me to take care of it," Sam explained while Cas's eyes squinted.

"Ben Braeden?" Cas whispered, remembering the woman well. Sam nodded curtly, watching the road. "I took his memory, and his mother's. Did he call by accident?"

"No, he distinctly remembers Dean and everything that had happened."

"Why didn't Dean want to go?"

"He said it would be too hard for him," Sam answered before Cas sat back, knowing that Sam was lying. "Anyway, he wanted me to go down and make sure that everything was okay and nothing was coming to get them."

"I see," Cas whispered.

"Look, you don't have to come with me. I'm sure Heaven is a mess right now," Sam reminded, but the angel just shook his head.

"Heaven is stable. I want to know why they have their memories back even though I wiped them," Cas informed, stressing Sam out a little.

"Only Ben remembers," Sam answered as Cas looked at him.

"That makes the case more intriguing," Cas murmured before looking out the window. Sam pursed his lips. "I'm getting the sense that you don't want me along, Sam."

"No, that's not it. I just don't want Ben to freak out when he remembers you," Sam fibbed.

"Why would he 'freak out'?"

"You took away his memory."

"That doesn't mean he remembers me."

"He knows something inhuman did it to him, and you're not exactly human, Cas," Sam reminded as the angel closed his mouth.

"If he… freaks out, I'll leave," Cas negotiated before Sam nodded. Sam didn't want to lie to Cas, but also didn't want him to know about Dean just yet. That was the last thing Cas needed to hear and Sam didn't want the angel smiting his brother, either. Even if Dean was a demon, Sam was still optimistic about him. Something could be done. "I am surprised that he called Dean in the first place. Usually, people want to forget and pretend it didn't happen."

"Dean was the only father Ben really had. I think that was the strongest memory he had was Dean being there for him and his mom, and he held on to that," Sam reasoned before Cas nodded slowly.

"One may tolerate a world of demons the sake of an angel," Cas whispered, earning a befuddled look from Sam.

"What?" Sam asked, thinking that was way too poetic for Cas. The angel turned to him and shrugged.

"It's a quote from a British TV Show," Cas explained as Sam gave a half smile and shook his head. "Although, I don't understand the meaning behind it. Why would anyone tolerate a world of demons for one angel?"

"I think it means that someone will live with misfortune and terrible things for a single cause or person," Sam answered before looking at him. "Why did you use the quote if you didn't know what it meant?"

"I assumed that Ben might be dealing with demons right now, as that it is the only thing I could think of for the memory gain," Cas explained before Sam shook his head.

"He said that it came back when the stars fell."

"When the angels fell," Cas whispered.

"Yeah. Do you think that would have something to do with it?"

"It's a good hypothesis. However, it has rendered my quote useless."

"I wouldn't say that," Sam whispered as he gave Cas the map to navigate for the next few hours of the drive.


	3. Chapter 3

Dean gathered up his things, making up for Sam taking his bag, gun, and the Impala. He had to go get to the Braeden's house and fast. He had to make sure that they were okay before he did anything else. He had a strong pull luring him, one that he hadn't felt before.

After double checking he had everything he needed, he overturned ever carpet and checked the ceiling from where he was standing to the entrance. He hadn't tried getting out of the bunker, as it was shielded from demons and other creatures. Of course, they were able to keep Crowley there for weeks. Dean climbed up the stairs and opened the door, but couldn't leave. He looked around, making sure he didn't trap himself again. However, when he didn't find the circle, he laughed at himself. He lifted the door jam and broke the salt line with the barrel of his gun. After he crossed the broken line, he reformed the salt with his boot, in case Sam came back. If demons got into the bunker, Sam would personally kill him.

Dean walked along the road and hotwired a car, parked along the side. Throwing his bag into the passenger seat, he set off to the highway. He looked down at the clock and saw that he was three hours behind Sam. Dean gripped the steering wheel firmly, extremely irritated. He was going to have to go triple times the speed limit if he even dreamed of catching up to Sam.

Sam and Cas pulled into Battle Creek around four in the morning. Cas vanished, thinking he could figure out the street and number faster than Sam could in the Impala. When he came back, he pointed to the street and direction that Sam wanted to go. Within minutes, they found the house and parked just outside.

"What are we waiting for?" Cas asked as Sam looked at him and sighed.

"People don't like normal people knocking on their doors at four in the morning," Sam instructed, reaching to the back, where he kept a spare suit for him and Dean. Cas nodded, understanding what was going on.

"What's our cover?"

"We're conducting an interview of the residents of the area because of some suspicious activity that has taken place. It should satisfy Lisa and give us a chance to talk to Ben," Sam answered before Cas nodded. "Do you still have that badge that Dean got you a few years ago?"

"Of course," Cas answered, thinking that it was a ridiculous question.

Both of the changed quickly and walked up to the door. Sam straightened Cas's tie before ringing the doorbell a few times. Within a few minutes, a very tired and annoyed Lisa answered the door, rubbing her eye.

"What do you want?" she whispered, seeing their uniforms through the peep hole. Sam reached into his pocket to grab the badge before she gasped. "Sam?"

"Uh," Sam answered, looking up at her as she covered her mouth.

"Oh god," she muttered, tearing up. Sam took a step forward.

"It's okay, it's okay," he murmured, hoping to calm her down. Cas glanced between the two, not sure what to do anymore.

"You're not supposed to be real! You're supposed to be a dream," Lisa complained as Sam led her inside and to the couch. "Does that mean that Dean is real, too?"

"Um, yeah," Sam answered, glancing at Cas. Lisa covered her face and took a deep breath. Sam turned around as he heard someone come down the stairs. It was a teenage Ben staring at him. "He-hey."

"Sam?" Ben whispered as he looked at his mom. "What's going on?"

"I'm so sorry, Ben," she whimpered, her face still covered. Sam stood up and walked over. Cas stood where he was, unsure how to help or if he was supposed to do anything.

"Where's Dean?" Ben whispered as Sam sighed. "Is he okay?"

"Look, let me take care of your mom and we'll talk. Us being here is too much for her already," Sam informed as Ben's eyes grew wide. "He is okay, he just has a condition that I need to talk to you about."

"Alright," Ben whispered, relieved to hear that he wasn't dead. Sam smiled as Lisa stood up. "Mom?"

"I… I need to go lie down for a while. Sam, you're welcome to stay, as is your friend," Lisa informed as she walked past Ben and upstairs. Sam thanked her for the invitation as she closed her door and turned out the light.

"Okay, Ben, I need you to listen carefully," Sam whispered as Ben nodded, feeling treated like a child. "Dean is, um, he's uuh."

"What are you trying to say?" Ben asked before Sam looked out the window.

"Cas, can you go make sure I didn't leave the car running?" Sam asked as Cas vanished, startling Ben.

"Dean's a demon," Sam informed, shocking Ben.

"He's a what?"

"A demon. Like the one that possessed your mom and nearly killed you," Sam answered as Ben gaped.

"Dean's possessed?"

"No, Ben, his soul has changed into one. Cas can't know just yet, okay?" Sam whispered with a smile before the angel came back.

"Sam, the car isn't running," Cas answered before Sam sighed, sounding relieved.

"Good. I didn't want to wake the entire neighborhood. Anyway, Dean is on a job right now, taking care of people right now. He wanted me to come right away to make sure you were okay," Sam answered as Ben nodded before pursing his lips. "You said that there was something happening around town."

"Yeah, that was just to try and get Dean back down here," Ben informed, slightly embarrassed. Sam smiled and shook his head. "So, _why_ is he on the trip? Did he _need _to go? Or did he have a choice?"

"It started with a choice, but one thing led to another and he was stuck with what he got," Sam answered, knowing that Ben was talking how Dean became a demon. "I'm sure he didn't want to go, but sometimes there isn't a choice."

"Do you think he will come?" Ben asked as Sam clenched his jaw.

"If he does, I'll be the first one to know," Sam answered, confusing Cas.

"Who is he?" Ben asked, really confused. "Is he a Supernatural, too?"

"Oh, Cas? Kinda, I guess. Cas, this is Ben. Ben this is Castiel," Sam introduced as Cas gave a light smile. "He's an angel."

"An angel?" Ben repeated, skeptical.

"Yes, why is everyone so surprised to hear that?" Cas asked, staring at Sam.

"Anyway, he was the one who wiped your memory," Sam informed before Ben glanced at Cas. "Dean didn't want to drag you in deeper and raise you like my father raised us."

"You both turned out okay," Ben pointed out, hating that he was treated differently.

"No, we didn't, Ben. We both live a life of fear and terror. We've been involved in apocalypses, massive deaths, you name it. Dean and I have died countless times," Sam informed as Ben looked incredulously at him.

"Dean has died approximately thirteen times, unless you count the Trickster Tuesday incident, which brings the number to around a hundred and twenty six. Sam has died only six times," Cas informed as both of them turned to face him. "What? I've also died multiple times."

"Anyway, Dean didn't want you to be involved. Our father, John, was cruel and manipulative. He treated Dean like second best and I felt like a prisoner. He was the one that introduced us to this lifestyle and it's the only thing we ever knew," Sam added before Ben sighed.

"Shouldn't it be my choice?" Ben reminded.

"It is your choice, but be a teenager first. Graduate high school. Get a girlfriend. Become valedictorian. Life a normal life before you sell your soul to go hunting for monsters," Sam suggested before Ben took a deep breath.

"I really wish you two stuck around, though," Ben mentioned, appreciating the advice Sam gave him.

"Yeah, I'm sure Dean wished that, too," Sam whispered, earning a strange look from the angel. "You probably should go back to bed. Don't you have school in the morning?"

"It's the middle of June. Why would I have school?" Ben inquired, making Sam smile.

"Well, I've been driving all night and I need to sleep," Sam answered before Ben directed him to the guest bedroom down the hall. Ben turned to Cas, who merely shook his head.

"I don't sleep," Cas informed as Ben shrugged.

"Well, good, then we can talk," Ben answered, sitting on the couch. Cas squinted at him, not sure what he wanted him to do. "Come over and sit down. Don't be shy."

"It's hard not to be, um, shy," Cas answered, but sat down on the armchair, facing the couch. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I want to know how come I never met you. Sam seems to know you rather well," Ben asked before Cas pursed his lips.

"I was planning to retake heaven and bring order," Cas explained.

"So you're really an angel," Ben whispered, still not believing it. "Does that mean God exists, too?"

"Well, yes, but he's missing."

"God is missing?"

"Yes."

"How can God be missing?" Ben asked, bewildered and surprised.

"Well, he hasn't been talking to us or been to Heaven in a very long time," Cas explained the best he could.

"What about the Devil?"

"Lucifer is my brother, he exists. He is the reason why Dean came to your home a few years ago. Sam was able to trap Lucifer in his body and drag him back to Hell," Cas began before telling the heroics of Sam and Dean. Ben bit his lip, having no idea that it had happened.

"So, if Lucifer didn't exist, I wouldn't have had a father for a those years of my life?" Ben inquired, knowing he was going to regret the answer.

"I do not know, but it could have been a possibility."

"Do you think that he will ever become good again?"

"I am not sure, but I believe he thinks that he is one the side of good," Cas whispered before Ben nodded.

"But do you think that it's possible?"

"I've seen more improbable things happen."

"Do you… Do you think that demons can become human again?" Ben asked before clearing his throat. "'Cause my mom was possessed by one once, and I kept thinking about it."

"I would not know, but my best guess is no, I don't think so," Cas replied, crushing Ben's spirits a little.

"So, are angels originally human? Or are you just your own separate being thing?" Ben asked, making Cas smile a little, enjoying their conversation.


	4. Chapter 4

Within a few hours, Lisa got out of bed, thinking that she had the strangest dream. She continued as normal, brushing her teeth and such, and went downstairs. She saw Ben sleeping on the couch, and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw the man sitting in the armchair across from him.

"Oh god, it wasn't a dream," Lisa groaned before covering her face again. Cas looked up at her and shrugged.

"No, it wasn't," Cas answered, his elbows on his knees. Lisa nodded, looking around.

"Do you want some breakfast then?" she whispered before Cas stood up, shaking his head.

"I have no need to eat, but I'm sure that Sam would love something," Cas answered while Lisa headed toward the kitchen.

"Everyone needs to eat," Lisa muttered, opening the cupboards to find the pancake mix.

"I am an angel, and angels don't really eat," Cas replied, following her to the counter. Lisa sighed as she opened the fridge.

"Right," she groaned, pulling out the milk and then went back for some beer. "Do you drink?"

"Sure," Cas whispered, thinking that it would put her more at ease. Lisa handed him the bottle before pouring a huge amount of mix in a bowl and put the milk in afterwards. Cas popped the cap off as Sam kinda tumbled downstairs. "Good morning."

"Hey," Sam grumbled, brushing his hair back. Lisa smiled.

"Not really a morning person, then?" Lisa chuckled.

"I haven't been able to sleep lately," Sam admitted, rubbing his eyes with his palms. He had his undershirt and dress pants on, which made Lisa smile.

"Do you like pancakes? Your friend here doesn't eat," Lisa asked, pointing the spatula at Cas, who glanced over at Sam. Sam nodded and sat next to Cas. "So, you still hunt?"

"Um, yeah, we do. Dean's actually out on a hunting trip right now," Sam informed as Lisa nodded.

"So he's alive then?" Lisa whispered, flipping a pancake.

"Of course," Sam answered too quickly, startling Lisa a little. "Sorry, but Dean's doing well."

"Well, that's good," Lisa answered, staring at the pan. "Why didn't he just come himself, though? I mean, I guess saving people is a good thing, but couldn't he have just stopped by for a drink or something?"

"He said that the job he had was really important and just wanted me to come over and check up on you two. Of course, I wasn't expecting you to remember," Sam admitted.

"Why did you come?" she asked softly, still confused.

"Ben, uh, called yesterday, saying that he remembered everything and wanted to see Dean again. Said that there was something terrorizing the area," Sam answered before Lisa laughed.

"Yeah, I remember Ben was on the phone yesterday and wouldn't tell me who it was. Once he wakes up, I'll talk to him. But you just dropped everything to come? I still find that hard to believe. Dean never dropped everything to check on us," Lisa reminded as Sam pursed his lips.

"We've had some demon activity lately, and Dean wanted me to run down to make sure that the demons weren't targeting you," Sam explained as Lisa flipped a pancake onto a plate and handed it to him.

"Well, I haven't had anything strange happen yet. What kind of demon activity?" Lisa asked, sensing something was wrong. Before Sam could give a fake answer, the doorbell rang. Sam froze as Lisa turned around. "What is going on? How many visitors am I gonna have today?"

"Lisa," Sam whispered, grabbing Ruby's knife as Lisa went to the door. Ben woke up and peeked over the couch. Sam followed Lisa to the door and almost prevented her from opening the door. Dean stood on the doorstep, looking around before smiling at Lisa.

"Hey, um, I'm with the FBI. I'm looking for two men. One's my partner. Maybe you've seen him. His name is-" Dean began, fishing out his badge. Lisa shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Um, I didn't think you remembered me."

"I didn't for a long while," Lisa whispered before kissing him. "What took you so long? Sam's inside and said that you were on a job."

"Oh, yeah, it was just a quick thing I had to do before I came by," Dean answered as Sam stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do. He wanted to protect the family from Dean, and he thought he had at least a few days before he would get out of the trap. He hid the blade in a secret sheath attached to his waist in case Dean wanted to hurt anyone. "Hey, Sam."

"Hey," his brother whispered, biting his lip. "Uh, Cas is inside, too."

"C-Cas is here?" Dean stuttered as Sam shrugged, hoping that Dean would turn tail and run. "Well, I haven't seen him in ages!"

"He's having a beer in the kitchen," Lisa informed before Ben pushed past her and practically jumped into Dean's arms.

"Hey there," Dean smiled, hugging him back. Sam narrowed his eyebrows, very confused. He knew Dean was a demon now, but Dean still acted like nothing had happened. Like he just came back from the grave again without an explanation. That's when Sam realized that Dean was indeed trying to keep his humanity. However, like all demonic souls, once they lost their humanity, they were done for. There's no going back.

"So your job ended quickly," Ben smiled, looking up at his father figure. Dean smiled and shrugged.

"Had to make sure you were both okay. Did Sam already take care of the nuisance?" Dean asked as Ben bit his lip.

"I lied. There's nothing going on. I just wanted you to come back home," Ben admitted before Dean went pale. Lisa touched his cheek, finding it cold.

"Are you okay?" Lisa asked before Dean shook it off.

"Never better," he whispered, fooling everyone but Sam. Dean looked Sam in the eye with the _I need to talk to you now_ look. Dean excused himself as Sam stepped out onto the porch. Lisa nodded before closing the door, more than a little confused. "What?"

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked, his voice felled with worry. Dean sighed and shrugged.

"The same reason you're here. I'm here to protect them," Dean answered.

"I'm here to protect them from you. What are you doing here?" Sam rephrased, pissing Dean off.

"Ben mentioned something demonic terrorizing them, and I came here to stop it," Dean hissed, concentrating on keeping his eyes human. Sam looked away, pursing his lips.

"There is no demonic thing here, Dean. Ben was making it up so that you would come," Sam informed before Dean scoffed.

"I would know if Ben was lying," Dean reminded before Sam sighed.

"There isn't anything here. Wouldn't you be able to tell with your newfound demon powers?" Sam mocked before Dean rolled his eyes.

"Says Mr. Demon Blood. I have been kept in that bunker since I became what I am. I don't know anything else except for the human scent," Dean admitted before Sam shook his head, hurt by the comment.

"Nothing is here, Dean. It would have shown itself the second it knew I was here," Sam informed before Dean shook his head. "Look, am I the only one that is seeing what's happening here?"

"What? What is happening here?" Dean demanded, angry.

"I don't think it was a coincidence that you're suddenly a demon, Dean," Sam admitted. Dean just shook his head.

"Whatever! I don't care. All I know is that I need to take care of the demon thing!"

"There is no demon thing!"

"Then we have a problem!" Dean shouted, letting his eyes slip. Sam sobered immediately, his hand ready to grab the knife.

"That is the opposite of a problem, Dean," Sam whispered before Dean shook his head.

"I need to kill something, Sammy! The Mark has been burning my skin since I woke up. Crowley said that I will lose my mind if I don't kill something, and the apparently fake demonic thing was going to satisfy it!" Dean explained loudly before Sam gaped, shocked by what he had heard. Dean looked away, his eyes returning to normal. "It's true that I'm not human anymore, but this wasn't a choice. My soul wasn't mangled by my life like the other demons. It was mangled by the Mark, and that makes me different, and I want to stay that way."

"Dean, we need to do something."

"Hell yeah we need to do something!" Dean shouted, beyond angry.

"We have to get you out of here. Find a werewolf or vampire or something," Sam muttered, brushing his hair back with his hand. Dean sighed, finally getting through to his brother before Sam punched him in the nose. "Are you kidding me? Did you really think that I was that stupid? I don't trust you."

"Goddamnit," Dean muttered before pushing his nose back into place. Suddenly, Cas appeared next to Sam, horrified. "Cas."

"Dean," Cas whispered, wide eyed. Sam pursed his lips and looked away from the angel. "What happened to you?"

"The Mark," Dean answered softly, finally seeing Cas;s true angelic form. Cas turned to Sam who only shrugged.

"This is what you have been hiding from me?" Cas whispered before Sam nodded, too embarrassed to face him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"He's still my brother, Cas, and I didn't want you to kill him. I thought I had him trapped in the bunker, and I was going to deal with him once I knew that Lisa and Ben were safe," Sam admitted before Cas sighed.

"This is much bigger than you, Sam. Even you, Dean," Cas whispered, staring at Dean. "It's happening."

"What's happening?" Sam and Dean whispered in sync. Cas glanced at both of them.

"Dean knows," Cas replied before Dean scrunched up his face.

"No, I don't."

"2014. You saw me become human," Cas hinted before Dean scoffed.

"So did Sam."

"Not a few years ago," Cas whispered before Dean laughed.

"How does that-" Dean began before the light bulb turned on. Sam glanced at the two, very confused.

"What?"

"Croatoan," Dean whispered before Sam nodded.

"Yeah, we dealt with that virus before. What about it?" Sam asked before Cas took a deep breath.

"You know well that I know what will happen. Where choices will lead and what paths people might take. Dean was showed one long ago," Cas informed before Sam looked at Dean. "He was shown what would happen if he didn't agree to Michael's vessel."

"But we dealt with that. I went to Hell to prevent that!" Sam shouted before Cas paused.

"I know, but the fact remains. Dean then to the future, to 2014, where he found the remnants of the world. The world had been overtaken with demons and Hell had won. Lucifer came back," Cas informed before Sam went pale.

"He's trapped though. He can't get out!" Sam shouted before Cas frowned.

"Every path chosen will lead to Lucifer's awakening within the next few months. Nothing can stop him from coming. Dean's proof that it is happening," the angel informed before Sam scoffed and laughed.

"Sam, I died in 2014. Lucifer told me that was going to happen, no matter the circumstances, and he was right. I died and became a demon!" Dean informed before Sam folded his arms.

"That doesn't mean that the Devil is back," Sam reminded before Cas shook his head. "And what about the seals? Don't they have to be broken again?"

"They can't be put in place again. The seals will forever be broken," Cas answered.

"Then what's keeping him in the cage?"

"Michael, I presume. Maybe Crowley. I don't know. All I do know is that it's happening all over again," Cas whispered before Sam put a hand to his head.

"Can he… possess me again?" Sam whispered, but Cas shrugged.

"I do not know. It is a possibility," Cas replied before Sam left. "Sam."

"Let him go," Dean whispered, touching Cas's arm before Sam sat in the car. Cas turned to Dean and looked at him. "I've never seen your true form before. Not bad."

"Are you aware you have horns, Dean?" Cas asked, genuinely curious. Dean immediately touched his head and found nothing. "Which side are you on, Dean?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"What side?"

"The side I've always been on. Team Freewill," Dean whispered before Lisa opened the door again, furious.

"Get inside. Now," she demanded before storming off into the kitchen. Cas gave Dean a curious look before entering the house.


	5. Chapter 5

While Sam sat in the car, Dean and Cas sat on the couch with Lisa standing in front of them, her arms crossed. She looked beyond pissed, and she had a good reason to be. Ben had been told to stay in his room until she had figured out what was going on. The silence held a deadly tension that neither Cas or Dean wanted to break.

"What's going on?" Lisa finally whispered, glancing between them. "I heard all that shouting and yelling outside. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire neighborhood heard you!"

"Where do you want to start?" Dean asked, looking up at her. Lisa held her breath as she thought.

"Are you a demon?" she whispered after a pause. Dean looked at Cas before looking at the floor.

"Yes."

"How?"

"A few months ago, there was a new threat. An angel –yes they are real- named Metatron threatened to take over everything and wasn't afraid to kill to get what he wanted. There was also a Knight of Hell, which is what I've become. It's a certain kind of demon. Her name was Abbadon and she wanted to take over Hell and everything else, too. This first blade was the only thing that could stop them both," Dean explained as Lisa sat down, her arms still crossed.

"Isn't that the thing that Cain had from that bible story?" Lisa whispered as Dean nodded.

"Exactly. However, there was a Mark that I needed so I could use the blade. The Mark of Cain," Dean explained before rolling up his sleeve to show her. She pursed her lips and looked away. "I proved my worth and took the Mark, becoming human Cain. I killed Abbadon, but that was when it started taking over. I grew restless and sick when I didn't kill, but I never killed a human. Not once. However, when I went to take on Metatron, he stabbed and killed me."

"That's why Metatron said that you were dead," Cas whispered as it clicked in his head.

"I did die, but I came back as a demon," Dean answered calmly as Lisa glanced upstairs. "My anti demon possession tattoo is keeping me in my body, so don't worry. I can't possess anyone."

"Were you actually on a job yesterday?" Lisa asked, ignoring the last comment.

"No, Sam had trapped me in a demon trap yesterday after Ben made the phone call," Dean explained before Cas glared at him.

"How did you get out?"

"There's a demon named Crowley that helped me get the Mark and he let me out of the trap," Dean replied.

"Crowley?"

"He's the King of Hell."

"Like, he's the Devil?"

"What? No. The Devil is trapped, or whatever, in a cage down in Hell," Dean corrected before Lisa sighed, bringing up her knees.

"But he said that the Devil is coming back," Lisa pointed out, gesturing to Cas.

"There have been some signs, but we'll figure this out. We did it last time," Dean smiled.

"Last time?"

"Yeah, I lost Sammy that way," Dean whispered as Lisa remembered when Dean came in the middle of the night, asking for that drink.

"So what now? Are you dragging us into this again?" Lisa whispered before Dean shook his head.

"Absolutely not. I just wanted to make sure that you and Ben were safe and then I was going to leave again."

"You were gonna leave?!" Lisa nearly shouted as Dean rolled his eyes. "You're not leaving us again. You are not going to just wipe our memories and forget us again. That is off the table!"

"But you just said that you didn't want to get dragged into this!" Dean shouted, confused.

"No, I asked if you were! I never said that I wouldn't help," Lisa corrected before Dean rubbed his face. "Look, Ben shouldn't have called you and you shouldn't have come. However, now that you have, you can't back out on us again."

"What if you get hurt?" Dean reminded before Lisa shrugged.

"Ben is fifteen now. I'm sure he's old enough to fire a gun."

"You're willing to let Ben learn how to use a gun?"

"If it means that he won't lose his father again, then yes. That's exactly what it means," Lisa replied as Cas looked at Dean.

"You don't understand what you're saying. Once you get into this lifestyle, there is no getting out. I've tried several times, and it hasn't worked," Dean whispered, laughing a little. Lisa shrugged.

"Ben was eager to learn when you were still here. Besides, you turned out okay," Lisa answered.

"I'm a demon, Lis," Dean reminded.

"Well, I meant before you died. Look, you can teach him, or I'll get Sam to."

"How are you going to get Sam to?"

"I don't know, but I'll think of something," Lisa replied before Dean rubbed his face. "What is this bunker anyway? Like a bomb shelter?"

"Not exactly. It's like a secret library for these people called Men of Letters, who were like Hunters, but more precise and nerdy," Dean replied as Lisa nodded.

"Like a base or something?"

"Sure," Dean whispered.

"Perfect," Lisa replied standing up.

"Where are you going?" Dean asked, not moving a muscle.

"Telling Ben that we're moving," Lisa answered, already to the stairs. Dean immediately stood up and walked over.

"Lisa, this is not a good idea," Dean informed sternly as she turned around.

"Look, Dean. The way I see it is that now that you're a demon, and friends with the Demon King, I bet there are things out there that want you on their side or to kill you. That happened in life, so there is no reason why it won't happen now. Ben and I can either stay here like sitting ducks, waiting to be used as leverage, or we could come to the bunker of yours, where we might actually be somewhat safe," Lisa reasoned as Dean saw a flash of fear in her eyes.

"Isn't the fact that I'm not human anymore have an effect?" Dean whispered.

"Maybe, but Sam will be there. He'll keep you in check. We can work around this, Dean," Lisa answered, doing this for the safety of her son. Dean pursed his lips, letting her run upstairs.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Cas asked, staring at Dean.

"It's not a good idea. It's a terrible, horrifying idea that I don't want to happen," Dean answered strongly before sighing. "But she's right. When I left to Hunt, they were left to fend for themselves. I thought they were gonna be okay, but a demon nearly killed them both while I was away."

"What is Sam going to say?" Cas muttered before Dean shrugged.

"That this is an awful idea. That I'm not safe to be around. He's not going to let them just become Hunters. He knows the price just as well as I do," Dean whispered before looking at Cas. "What do you think?"

"I think that they would be safer in the bunker now that they remember," Cas admitted as Dean sighed.

"I agree," Dean whispered before looking at Cas. "Do you think-"

"No," Cas answered before walking away.

"You don't even know what I was going to ask," Dean argued, following Cas into the kitchen.

"Yes, I do. You're predictable, and I won't tamper with their memories again. I don't even know that it will work a second time," Cas informed.

"Ugh. Fine. Do you think there is any way out of this?"

"No, probably not."

"That's what I came up with, too."

Within the hour, Dean left the house and headed for the Impala, where Sam was still sitting and thinking. Dean knocked on the window twice to get his brother's attention. Sam glanced up at him and rolled down the window.

"What do you want?" Sam whispered as Dean leaned against the car.

"Lisa and Ben are coming with us."

"With us where?"

"To the bunker," Dean whispered, avoiding Sam's eyes.

"What? No. Not happening-"

"They already know, Sam. Lisa knows everything. She wants to learn to Hunt and wants us to teach Ben, too," Dean informed before Sam shook his head.

"Why?"

"Because she's scared. Scared that things will come after them now that they remember. Lisa thinks that the bunker is the safest place for her and Ben," Dean whispered before Sam bit his lip.

"But you said she knows that you're a demon."

"She does. She just thinks that you will be the line of defense between her and me. Look, I didn't want her to come, but she's made up her mind," Dean whispered, wishing his had a drink. Sam sighed.

"We could just drive away. Never come back," Sam suggested before Dean shook his head.

"No, I couldn't live with myself," Dean admitted, making Sam laugh.

"It's a good thing you aren't living then."

"Shut up. This could be a good thing. We could rebuild the Men of Letters again," Dean suggested as Sam scoffed.

"With just Ben?"

"It's a start."

"You do remember what the Men of Letters do, right? They fight demons specifically. Can you imagine what Henry would say right now if he saw you?" Sam laughed as Dean shook his head.

"I know, and honestly, I think that he would try and exorcise me," Dean laughed.

"Why is that funny?"

"The anti demon tattoo keep me in this body," Dean whispered, bringing down the collar and made Sam laugh, too.

"Fair enough," Sam sighed, still not sure if he trusted Dean. Then, he smiled and whispered, "Christo."

"What the hell, man!" Dean shouted after jumping. "Now I have goose bumps all over!"

"It's just a bit of fun," Sam laughed. "Look, if we're going to keep our thing going, then we need to set some rules. For example, I'm still going to demon trap all the rugs."

"Why?"

"In case Crowley comes back. You're a Knight of Hell, Dean. I'm not stupid, and Crowley knows what you are, too. I don't want him persuading you to join the Dark Side," Sam informed as Dean shook his head.

"What is with all the Star Wars references?" Dean whispered, but was ignored by Sam.

"We're salting all the entrances and you can't leave unless Cas or I are with you, again, because of Crowley," Sam informed before Dean closed his eyes.

"This is ridiculous."

"I don't care. You're going to have earn my trust again," Sam replied.

"Fine, but don't touch my room," Dean warned.

"No blood rituals."

"Sam!" Dean shouted, appalled.

"I just wanted to be clear," Sam answered as Lisa and Ben came out with Cas carrying most of their things. Sam opened the trunk and helped Cas as Dean when to talk to Lisa.

"Are you sure? You can always back out," Dean warned, making Lisa roll her eyes.

"You are still just as a worry wort as you were a few years ago. Everything will be fine. We'll be safer this way," Lisa answered, kissing his cheek. Sam froze, surprised, as Dean smiled.


End file.
